- In the NYC area? Juan Melendez – 6446 is at Latino Int. Film Festival, July 29 & 31. 17 years on death row, innocent. http://bit.ly/3JIC5A #
Juan Meléndez spent 17 years on Florida’s death row for a murder he did not commit. Although the real killer confessed, his confession was never shown to the defense and the jury never heard it.
Juan Meléndez – 6446 tells Juan’s story and the story of the dedicated people who stood by him and finally helped win his freedom.
Juan was present at this year’s National Campaign to End the Death Penalty conference in Pennsylvania in January, when we all got to see the premiere of this powerful film. His mama was there, too. It was heartbreaking and maddening and it stirred the soul.
Now comes the news that Juan Meléndez – 6446 has been accepted to the New York Latino International Film Festival. It will be screened on Wednesday, July 29 and on Friday, July 31. Juan will be there for the screening on Friday. The documentary has also been accepted to the Montreal World Film Festival where it will be shown at the end of August.
If you live in the New York area or know someone who might be interested, I encourage you to attend and spread the word. The film will be screened on Wednesday, July 29 at 5:00 PM at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea Screen 7; and on Friday, July 31 at 2:00 PM at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea Screen 8. For ticket information and to learn about other films that will be screened at the festival, please visit the New York Latino International Film Festival site.
- Obama mentioned the death penalty recently. I'm looking for ideas for starting a real conversation with him about it. http://bit.ly/190zVa #
President Obama met with the press before his visit with Pope Benedict on July 10. He talked about how he admired Cardinal Bernardine’s “seamless garment” approach to pro-life, that the cardinal included in its scope a wide range of issues: “He was concerned about poverty, he was concerned with how children were treated, he was concerned about the death penalty…”
Now here’s interesting fodder for a conversation with President Obama. For starters: “Aren’t you, too, very, very concerned about the fact that already 135 innocent people have been released from death row? How many will it take before we recognize the failed system? Not to mention the shocking, appalling racist application of the death penalty presently carried out in the Deep South states.”
Do you have any ideas about how we might get a conversation going with President Obama and his wife, Michelle, about this issue? Would you like to help us mount a young people’s letter writing campaign to the White House to end the death penalty in the U.S.?
Think boldly. Organize strategically. Act quickly. Please respond and let me know your thinking!
- Sister Helen
- We now have a clear statement from the Pope against the death penalty. Read what he has to say in my latest post. http://bit.ly/kwWvm #